The Perfect Gift
by Anomaly9
Summary: It's the middle of December and midterms are coming up. When Schuyler's class decides to play secret santa, she is paired with her crush, Lysander. Problem is, she has no idea what to get him, until she comes across a mysterious shop that just might have what she's looking for. Short story.
1. Chapter 1 Secret Santa

Schuyler twirled a blonde cork screw curl around her finger as her eyes darted around the vomit-coloured portable in which she was forced to spend her mornings. She looked at the gaudy Christmas decorations strung across the room; red and green tinsel lined the walls, along with paper snowflakes dangling from the ceiling. She stared out the window, her chin resting in her hand as she watched_ real_ snowflakes fall. She'd almost rather be outside in the cold making snow angels with her best friend Iris or…she snuck a glance at Lysander. She could only catch the occasional glimpse of his profile from where she sat, but that was better for ogling him without his notice as far as she was concerned.

Iris nudged Schuyler's arm when she noticed her gaping at him. Iris grinned.

"You're totally in love him." she whispered.

"Shut up." Schuyler whispered back, grinning.

Their history teacher, Mr. Faraize, rose from his desk to address the class.

"So," He began. "As you all know, exams are fast approaching," _Boy, do I._ Schuyler thought.

"So I'm thinking we should do something fun. You've all heard of secret santa,Yes? Good." He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a black top hat. Why he kept a top hat in his desk, Schuyler would never know.

"The spending limit will be, let's say, ten dollars. Does that sound reasonable?" There was a collective "yeah" from everyone in the room.

Schuyler tore a sheet of paper from her note book and scrawled her name across it. She slipped it into the black hat when it came around.

"Everyone got their name in here?" The class nodded.

Mr. Faraize circled the room again and students pulled names from the hat. Schuyler's heart thudded as she watched. She craned her neck to peak over the shoulders of students who'd chosen a name. Luckily, she didn't see Lysander's on any of their papers.

Soon enough, it was her turn. She reached into the hat._ Lysander, Lysander, Lysander._ She repeated his name in her head like a mantra as her hand sifted through the slips of paper. She grabbed one from the bottom of the hat and pulled it out, keeping the it clenched in her fist. She was too afraid to look, yet too excited not to. She pursed her lips. _This is so ridiculous, I have to look. It's no big deal, really_. Her heart beating with a mix of anticipation and fear, she slowly unfolded the paper…and stared at it in disbelief. Scrawled in elegant, swirling cursive was the name _Lysander._

Schuyler couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she packed up her things. She'd kept the paper with Lysander's name folded in her pocket the entire day. She knew it was silly, but she still entertained the thought that it could be a sign, a good omen for their (currently non-existent) relationship.

"Hey!" Iris leaned against the locker next to Schuyler's.

"Hey, Iris." Schuyler said. "Let's get out of here already. We need to get a move on with these history notes or we'll fail. You can study at my house."

"We cam fail together!" Iris said playfully.

"We are _not_ failing!" Schuyler grinned and nudged Iris in the shoulder. She buttoned her coat and slipped her wool hat on over her curls. The two girls linked arms and walked through the main hallway into the bitter cold.

"Sooo are you finally gonna tell me who you got?" Iris asked. Schuyler didn't need to ask what she meant. She paused and took a deep breath before answering. She knew students weren't supposed to tell each other who they were paired with, but neither of them cared.

"Lysander." She said. Iris was speechless for a moment.

" . Way!" She tightened her grip on Schuyler's arm. "That's so amazing Schuyler! What are gonna get him?" She asked.

Schuyler's face darkened as she realized she hadn't even thought about it. She hardly knew Lysander.

"I…I have no idea." Schuyler said.

"Seriously? Not a clue?" Iris cried.

"Not a clue." Schuyler's shoulders slumped hopelessly.

"Hey, cheer up. I have an idea." Iris nudged her.

Schuyler sighed. "What is it?"

"Why don't we go down to the dollar shop and see what they have? That place is nice and cheap."

Schuyler's mood brightened a little at the suggestion…until she remembered the sheets of historical facts in her backpack waiting to be memorized. She looked at Iris's smiling face. It would just be a quick look. Besides, it was for Lysander, of all people. "Alright. Let's see what we can do."

The fluorescent lights of the Dollar Shop blinded Schuyler's eyes as the smell of cheap plastic invaded her nostrils. She quickly scanned the half price bins, searching for anything interesting as her boots squeaked across the polished linoleum floor.

"Now, if I were Violette, what would I buy from the Dollar Store." Iris muttered to herself as she wandered down an isle filled with craft supplies.

"Oh you got Violette?" Schuyler said. She had forgotten to ask Iris who she'd been paired with.

"Yep. I'm sure this place will have something she'll like." Iris said as she browsed through a selection of synthetic paint brushes. Schuyler only hoped she would be so lucky. Every item she looked at was bright, colourful and childlike-nothing about them said _Lysander_.

"I'm gonna go look around a bit." Schuyler said, heading out of the craft isle.

" 'Kay, I'll be right here." Iris called back.

Schuyler browsed through isles of pens, notebooks, sunglasses, glow sticks and array of other items that seemed, well…either completely useless or likely to break after owning them for a day. A rack of key chains caught her eye. They all looked like animals doused in radioactive chemicals. She picked one up and twirled it around in her fingers. It was a bunny dressed in a stripped shirt and an eye patch. _Weird, but still kinda cute. Definitely not for Lys, though._ She placed it back on the rack and continued her search.

After a hopeless scavenger hunt through an isle of sparkly stickers and disposable cameras, she spotted a bargain bin filled with CD'S. Lysander was into music, she knew that much. _There might actually be something good in here._ Schuyler thought as she flipped through the albums. The bin contained a few tittles she vaguely recognized: _Winged Skull, Stars from Nightmare, Nickelback._ She flipped through tittle after tittle, unsure what would interest Lysander most. She was beginning to feel more dejected by the second.

"Can I help you find anything, miss?"

Schuyler turned to see an old man dressed in a rainbow spattered vest and khaki pants. His name tag read _Manager_ and below that, the name _Louis_. Schuyler smiled politely. She knew that if she hadn't found anything here by now, she probably never would.

"No, thank you. I'm…just having a look around."

"Alright then. Let me know if you need any assistance." Louis said and returned to the register.

Schuyler continued to flip through the CD's halfheartedly. It was no use. She placed the album she'd been holding back in the bin and made her way back to the craft isle.

"Schuyler!" Iris said. "I've got everything I need. Did you find anything?" She asked. Schuyler shrugged.

"Not today, unfortunately." Schuyler sighed. Iris's face fell.

"Oh, that's too bad. Maybe you'll find something next time." _doubt it_. Schuyler though.

"Well, I'm gonna go buy these." Iris held up a palette of paints and assortment of synthetic brushes. Schuyler nodded. She waited by the door while Louis rang up Iris's purchases. After today's utter failure, all she wanted to do was go home and get her mind off it.

Iris walked toward her, plastic bag in hand."Now we can go study at your house and totally not fail." She said, grinning.

"Sounds like a plan." Schuyler linked her right through Iris's and they made their way to her house through the snow.


	2. Chapter 2 The Notebook

Schuyler slammed her notebook shut and leaned back in her chair. She and Iris had studied for hours, quizzing each other on everything from American presidents to the French Revolution. After Iris left, her mind wandered back to the hopeless search that afternoon, so she cracked open her notes and reviewed everything until the words became a jumbled blur of nonsense on the page.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, letting her blonde curls spill over the back of the chair. She formed a mental image of Lysander : his mis matched eyes and side swept silver hair, his lithe body always impeccably dressed. He carried himself with a quiet confidence she'd never seen from any other boy at Sweet Amoris High. In her mind's eye he stood before her, poised and self-assured, his lip curling upward in that way that always made her wish he'd give her a second glance.

She opened her eyes and looked at the clock: 11:03. Schuyler sighed. It was late. She'd need her rest if she was going to sit through another day of exam reviews. She stood, slipped on her favourite strawberry print pyjamas and crawled under the covers. She tossed and turned for the rest of the night, dreaming of snow angels and multi coloured eyes.

"Now, who can tell me how many full terms Franklin Delano Roosevelt served?" Mr. Faraize's voice barley registered in Schuyler's brain. She was so sleep deprived she could hardly make herself sit up straight, let alone answer a simple question. She slumped down further in her chair, tempted to let her eyes drift shut. _Let someone else figure it out._ She thought.

"Please, don't jump all at once." Mr. Faraize said dryly. Schuyler stifled a yawn.

"This material is important! I guarantee you it _will_ be on your exam. I know you're all looking forward to the break, but now's not the time to shut off your brains because…"

Schuyler tuned out her history teacher's monologue and discreetly slid her gaze to Lysander's desk where he was engaged in a whispered conversation with Castiel. She watched his profile carefully, admiring his changing expressions. His shoulders shook slightly as he struggled to control a laugh. Schuyler's heart fluttered and her lips curled upward involuntarily.

Suddenly, Lysander glanced over his shoulder. His gaze drifted to where she sat and for one terrifying second, his gold eye locked with hers. She snapped her eyes away immediately and stared down at the faux wood patterns on her desk. I_t was nothing. Just one of those random eye contacts people make sometimes. He didn't think anything of it. _She convinced herself. She waited a few minutes before risking a glance at him again. His attention was back on Castiel, the awkward moment forgotten. Schuyler breathed an inward sigh of relief. _Thank God. _She rested her chin in her hand and kept her eyes glued to the blackboard for the rest of the class.

"I wish I had a friend by my side to trek through all that snow with me today." Schuyler said as Iris slung her guitar over her shoulder.

"Yeah me too, but I'm gonna be late for music club if I don't hurry up." Iris said apologetically. "I'll call you tonight though!"

"Great. see you, Iris!" Schuyler called, slamming her locker shut.

"Bye!" Iris waved as she turned the corner.

Schuyler turned on her heal and made her way through the now empty hallway. She pushed open the double doors where she was met with a cold blast of wind and snow. "Uhg!" She cried and shielded her face with her gloved hand. She held the railing tighter than usual as she slowly navigated the icy steps. _Careful now. One foot in front of the other…_Schuyler coached herself as if she were a small child, the ice crunching beneath her feet. When she finally reached the last step, she noticed something covered in a fine layer of snow next to her boot. Clutching the railing for balance, she bent to peel the object off the ground.

The snow fell away. Her eyes widened. In her hand was a bright red, spiral bound note book with Lysander's name looping and swirling across the cover. Schuyler's heart leapt into her throat as the realization dawned on her. She 'd found something of his…which meant she'd have to return it to him…which meant she'd have to _talk_ to him. _No way _Schuyler thought, shaking her head as she slipped the notebook into her coat pocket. Of course, she knew she'd have to give it back sooner or later. She'd take the long route home and mull it over.

She stood, careful to keep her balance and made her way to the back of the school. She rounded the corner…and stopped abruptly. Lysander paced back and forth across the courtyard. He stared at the ground, a hand running through his silver hair.

"Where is it, where _is_ it…" he mumbled to himself, his brow furrowing. Schuyler took a small step forward.

"Um," She said. Lysander's head snapped up and he stopped pacing. Schuyler cringed inwardly. _Way to start a conversation. That was just freaking brilliant. _She bit her bottom lip, reprimanding herself.

"Hello Schuyler." He said. Her heart raced and she took a few steps closer to him.

"Uh, looking for something?" She asked in a small voice.

"Yes. as a matter of fact, I've lost something very important to me. You haven't seen my notebook anywhere have you? I'm always loosing that thing. It's red and-"

"Um, yeah." Schuyler cut him off unintentionally. _Idiot _She scolded herself, unbuttoning her coat pocket. She held the notebook out to him. His eyes brightened at the sight of it.

"I found it by the steps." she said. Lysander reached out and took the notebook from her.

"Excellent, thank you!" He said, a thousand watt smile lighting up his green and gold eyes. Schuyler's heart jumped.

"N-no problem." She stuttered. Lysander tucked the notebook into his pocket.

"I'll see you around then. Thanks again." He nodded to her and strode off, leaving her standing awestruck in the middle of the courtyard.

Schuyler stared after him, studying his confident stride and the way his long black coat billowed in the wind until he disappeared from sight.

She cursed herself. _That was your chance, you idiot. You could have asked him out or something. _But Schuyler knew she never could have worked up the courage. At least she had spoken to him. And gotten the whole giving-back-the-notebook thing out of the way. But was it enough for him start noticing her? Definitely not.

She let out an exasperated sigh. A breath of fog swirled in font of her as she hoisted her bag higher on her shoulders. She'd take the long route anyway.

As Schuyler wound her way through the nearly empty street, she played through scenarios in heard head, thinking of what she could have said, _should_ have said.

She'd walk directly to him with confidence in her stride and say _Lys! I found your notebook. _His face would break into a mega watt smile directed at her-not his notebook. _Say, would you like to go out sometime?_ She'd ask. _Of course. Come to the cafe with me, I'll buy you a hot chocolate. My treat _he'd reply_. _Then he'd take her hand and they'd talk and laugh all the way to the cafe, realize how much they had in common and live happily ever after...

Schuyler shook her head. She was being ridiculous again. _You and your stupid fantasies. Lys has way more class than that._

She continued up hill through the snow. Her legs ached and she could hardly feel her toes. She was beginning to think that taking the long way wasn't the smartest idea.

As she forced her way up, she noticed a strange yellow-orange glow emanating from a building on the hilltop. A building she'd always thought to be abandoned. The last time she'd seen it, had been completely empty and falling apart, with a rusted metal rooftop and a grungy, water damaged _for rent_ sign pasted to the splintered door. The place had always given her the creeps…now it looked like something out of a fairy tale. She stepped closer, her mouth forming into an O as she gazed at the wrought iron railing, patterns of swirls and ivy built into it. She looked up at the wooden sign hanging above her head, decorated with the same swirling wrought iron patterns. _The Shop of Odds and Ends_ it read. Entranced, Schuyler walked up the stone steps.


	3. Chapter 3 The Old Curiosity Shop

A bell tinkled as Schuyler pushed through the door into the shop. Immediately she was struck by the beauty of the place. She paused in the doorway, her eyes scanning the clutter of gold and silver trinkets that took up nearly every inch of space. Seemingly endless rows of bookshelves lined the walls and intricately patterned, hand woven rugs covered the hardwood floor. Schuyler stepped further into the shop. The soothing scent of incense wafted to her nose and she breathed it in, sighing. It was heavenly.

Her fingers ghosted over the intricate collections on the display tables. She touched a set of sliver wind chimes and their light, airy sound filled her ears. She flicked her finger along an old fashioned globe and watched it spin on its axes. _Everything is so beautiful. _She could practically see Lysander browsing the shelves, looking perfectly at home.

She continued through the shop, her eyes darting over every sparkling trinket. Suddenly, she noticed her reflection in a ornately gilded silver mirror propped against a bookshelf across the room. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled. She smiled. _This place is too amazing. _She thought blissfuly. She wandered to one of the book cases and let her hands drift over the leather bound spines of the substantial novels. She wondered if Lysander would appreciate one of them. It would certainly be a workout carrying one to school, she thought idly.

"Welcome miss!" Schuyler whirled around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. She was met with a pair of wide grey eyes rimmed by circular specs. The man stepped back and eyed her snow-dampened attire.

"You look as if you've com in straight out of the bitter cold. I do hope you've warmed up enough." He said. Schuyler smiled gratefully. She could see that he was an older man. Her eyes skimmed the impossibly long, snowy white beard and curling moustache that covered his face. He almost reminded her of Santa Clause, although he was far too tall and thin.

"Yes, thank you. You shop is very beautiful by the way." She said

"Indeed it is, my deer. Indeed it is. Where you looking for anything in particular?"

Schuyler bit her lip. "Well, I'm kind of looking for a gift for someone." She said.

"A gift? Splendid! I'm sure we'll have just the thing." He smiled warmly and led her through the shop. "For whom are you planning to buy this gift. Did you have anything in mind?" He asked, his long fingers gesturing to the many items around the shop.

"Well…it's for someone kind of…special." She said. Lysander's face flashed through her mind.

"Special eh? Perhaps they'd like a mask. All our masks are hand made and of the highest quality." He said brightly, picking up a red and gold mask from one of the display tables and holding it up for her. It was adorned extravagantly, feathers and rhinestones decorating all sides. Schuyler cocked her head to one side. It _was_ beautiful, but she couldn't see Lysander having much use for it.

"Hmmm. I'm not sure he'd be interested in something like that." She said almost apologetically.

"Well then," he placed the mask back on the table and stroked his beard, "There's plenty more to chose from. Tell me, what interests this friend of yours?"

Schuyler thought for a moment. She knew he liked music. He seemed to like fancy, old-world things too…then she remembered the notebook she'd returned to him not an hour before.

"He likes writing." She blurted out.

"Writing you say? I've got just the thing for an avid writer. Follow me."

He turned on his heel strode to the front of the store where a cash register sat on top of a polished mahogany desk. He ducked beneath the register and heaved out a large wooden box. Schuyler peered inside it. It was filled to the brim with what appeared to be notebooks. Piles of them. She reached in and pulled one out. The cover was a deep green, decorated with images of flying cranes. She trailed her thumb over it, admiring its oriental beauty, then placed it back in the box and flipped through the rest. They were all beautiful-some glittered with rhinestones, some were simple, solid colours while others had intricate patterns embroidered into their covers.

As she hunted through the piles, she noticed a journal tucked in the corner of the box. She pried it from it's hiding place and held out in front of her. It was simple, yet sophisticated. Bound in cracked, brown leather with a gold clasp sealing it shut, it seemed more elegant, worldlier than the others. A small smile appeared on Schuyler's face as she ran her fingers over the looping gold cursive on the cover that read _journal. _She undid the clasp and flipped through the thick, cream coloured pages. The edges were artfully frayed, as if they'd been used for decades.

She looked up at the shop keeper. "I'll take this one." She said, grinning.

He took the box of journals and placed it back in its spot beneath the register, then looked at her with a knowing smile. "I'll ring it up for you right away."

Once he'd packed her purchase into a simple white bag, overflowing with decorative tissue paper, Schuyler's heart was already pounding with anticipation. "Thank you!" She said in a sing-song voice and took the bag from him. She made it halfway to the door when she realized she'd never even learned his name. She'd have to, since she planned to make herself a regular customer at _The Old Curiosity Shop._ "Hey, I never got your-" When she turned back to the register, it was empty. _Odd. He must be doing some business in the back…or some thing. _Schuyler thought nonchalantly. It didn't matter. She'd have plenty of chance to learn his name. She turned on her heel and pushed open the wooden door, the bell tinkling on her way out.

"Please tell me this isn't the only wrapping paper we have!" Schuyler called from the garage to her mother in the living room. She was picking through the scant selection of rolls that leaned against the concrete wall. They were all decorated in the same juvenile prints: snow men, reindeer, smiling Santa Clause faces. She picked up a roll that had fallen to the ground and looked at it. It was covered with penguins. Who were smiling. While wearing candy cane striped hats. Schuyler sighed, disgust written all over her face. _This is so ridiculous. Lys would laugh in my face if I gave him a present wrapped with_ this.

Schuyler's mother appeared in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. "That's all we've got Sky."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhmm." Her mother said dismissively. "There's plenty there. I never saw the need to buy more." She returned to the kitchen, leaving Schuyler to wallow in wrapping paper-induced misery.

"Arg!" She cried and stared hopelessly at the pathetic rolls. _Which one of these looks the least stupid… _She thought, scanning the prints of cheeky santa faces and penguins.

She decided to go with the snow men.

Once she'd wrapped the journal pristinely, making sure not a corner was out of place, she flopped onto her bed and dialled Iris's number on the old corder phone that sat on her bedside table because her mother refused to let her own a cell. The phone rang twice before she picked up.

"Hello?" Iris's voice came slightly muffled through the other end of the line.

"Hey!" Schuyler shouted.

"Well, you sound excited. What's up?"

"Okay, so I finally found the perfect gift for Lysander." She said.

"Seriously? That's great! What is it?" Iris asked.

"I can't tell you now. You'll find out." Schuyler's lips curled into a secretive smile.

"No, tell me!" Iris laughed playfully. Schuyler rolled onto her side, curling the phone cord around her fingers.

"I told you, I can't. But that's not even the best part."

"Then what is?"

"I found this shop. It's at the top of the hill a few blocks from school. It's where I found Lys's gift. It was _beyond amazing_. Schuyler emphasized the last words.

"There's a shop in this town that I haven't heard of? That sounds sketchy. Maybe it's infested with rats and that's the reason no one goes there." Iris mocked. Schuyler giggled.

"Shut up! I'll show you. We'll go tomorrow, after school."

"Okay, but I think we'd better get rabies shots first."

"Shut _up!_" Schuyler laughed.

They said their good-byes and Schuyler cradled the phone. She lay back on her pillow, anticipation bubbling in her stomach. Tomorrow was going to be quite the adventure.


	4. Chapter 4 Illusion

"Hurry up!" Schuyler shouted, dragging Iris up the hill by the hand. They'd been trudging through mud and slush for a good twenty minutes and Iris's patients was wearing thin.

"Remind me again why I agreed to this." Iris sighed.

"Come on, trust me. This will be totally worth it." Schuyler encouraged her. "We're almost there." As they came closer to the top of the hill, Schuyler strained her eyes to see the gold light that emanated from the shop window, but there was no sign of it yet. _Must be the fog_. Schuyler thought. They came closer still and Schuyler could see the place where the elegant shop stood…but there was nothing but a run down building, a _for rent_ sign plastered across its door. Schuyler froze.

"Hey," Iris nudged Schuyler's shoulder when she realized she wasn't moving. "something wrong?"

"No…" Schuyler whispered. She blinked rapidly, as if that could change what was right in front of her.

"What?"

"No…no. It was here. I swear it was right here." Schuyler walked toward the empty building, her voice becoming more frantic with every step. Her eyes scanned its neglected exterior and she swallowed hard. Maybe this was a sign that she was going completely and utterly insane.

"Are you sure, Sky? Maybe you were just seeing things." Iris said, concern etched into her features.

"I wasn't! It was _here_, I know it was!" Schuyler's voiced shot up several octaves. Tears burned behind her eyes as she touched the splintered door that had once been so beautiful. She reached for the handle and tugged at it, but the door wouldn't budge. Schuyler cursed and rammed her boot into the decaying wood, kicking it over and over.

"Hey!" Iris put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's get out of here. Your mom's gonna wonder what happened to us."

Schuyler wiped at a tear that had fallen down her face. "Okay." She said, her voice raspy. Iris put an arm around her friend and they made their way back down the hill.

For a brief moment, Schuyler glanced back at the worn down building. It had to be the strangest thing she'd ever experienced. If the shop wasn't real, then maybe the journal wasn't either. She'd have to start all over. She bit her lip to prevent any more frustrated tears and turned away from the building.

Schuyler burst through her bedroom door and ran to her desk. The journal lay there, exactly as she left it. She picked it up cautiously, as if it would disappear in her hands and ran her thumb over the snow man printed wrapping paper. It was still intact, good. Schuyler let out a relived sigh and sat down on her bed, the journal in her lap. An unwelcome thought entered her head. _What if he doesn't like it? _Maybe he'd think it was tacky…or worse, realize the real reason she bought it for him. She could see it all in her head. Lysander would rip off the paper and stare at the journal with a thinly veiled look of disgust. He'd give her a polite, fake smile and utter a clipped "thanks." Then, when he thought she wasn't looking, he'd toss the entire thing in the garbage can along with the wrapping paper.

Schuyler flopped back onto her bead, tears threatening once again. _He wouldn't do that. He's too nice for that sort of thing._ She consoled herself. She curled up on her pillow and hugged the journal to her chest, feeling the paper crunch against her. She could only hope that the gift beneath it wasn't just an illusion.


End file.
